Corruption watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh on Sunday expressed concern over recent allegations of extortion, encroachment, vandalism and internal clashes involving leaders and activists of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, warning that such incidents could undermine public confidence in the government.
In a statement, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman called for prompt investigations and exemplary punishment of those responsible, as well as a nationwide ‘self-purification’ drive within the ruling party.
TIB said media reports indicated that the RADDA MCH-FP Centre, a non-profit organisation providing healthcare to disadvantaged women and children, was looted, vandalised and encroached upon at midnight allegedly in the presence of police and with the support of a reserved-seat lawmaker.
Iftekharuzzaman described the incident as an ‘embarrassing example’ for the government and the ruling party.
‘This non-profit organisation has been providing healthcare to underprivileged and vulnerable mothers and children for fifty years. It has now been demolished before hundreds of people, under the patronage of a reserved-seat lawmaker and in the presence of police,’ he said.
He said since the political change in August 2024, BNP leaders and activists had faced widespread allegations of extortion, encroachment and attempts to establish dominance.
Such allegations had emerged over major bus terminals in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Khulna, as well as footpaths, markets, water bodies, sand businesses, kitchen markets, cable and internet services and waste collection, he said.
Iftekharuzzaman also referred to a recent clash between two local BNP factions over control of a water body in Kishoreganj, in which more than 50 people were reportedly injured, and the vandalism of a content creator’s office in the capital.
‘These are not isolated incidents. They are simply a continuation of events that have taken place since August 2024,’ he said.
He warned that such incidents could overshadow the government’s initiatives and create a negative public impression.
‘The ruling party must honour its anti-corruption electoral commitments and take effective self-purification measures right now,’ he said.
